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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. last — to go on
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bass — low music
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cap — a lid
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cap — of ice
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. last — finally
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. last — final
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. craft — boats
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com